Abstract
In the ‘Painting the Picts’ project, we remodelled and recoloured two significant Pictish stones, the St Madoes and Inchyra stones, situated within a landscape that has undergone transformative changes over the centuries. This aimed to showcase their interconnectedness integral role within Scotland’s broader tapestry of Pictish heritage.
As part of this project, a virtual environment allowed users to virtual walk between the St Madoes and Inchyra stones, illustrating the historical context and the impact of modern development on their environment. The stones are presented within scenes depicting aspects of daily life, from ceremonial practices to communal interactions, bringing the Pictish era to life.
A museum exhibit featuring touchscreens displaying 360 photos of scenes from the virtual environment offers interactive engagement. Visitors can explore the stones in detail and, notably, actively participate in the narrative by recolouring the St Madoes stone from a curated palette before reintegrating it into the digital landscape. This communicates the uncertainties of how the stones were coloured and introduces a personalisation element, where visitors create a personal relationship with their encounter with Pictish archaeology.
While the project showcases the evolving landscape, the use of characters humanises the scene, enabling comparisons between Pictish rituals and contemporary settings, offering insights into the cultural practices of the time. By locating the reconstructed stones within their historical context, multiple modes of engagement are possible: the exhibit connects the stones as they are today with how they looked in the past, augmented reality applications connect today’s landscape with the past, and web virtual reality provides access from home or school.
In conclusion, our project aimed to visually explore Pictish heritage and invite active personalised participation and engagement from the public. Through digital technologies, we bridge the gap between the past and the present, fostering renewed appreciation and interest for Pictish history.
As part of this project, a virtual environment allowed users to virtual walk between the St Madoes and Inchyra stones, illustrating the historical context and the impact of modern development on their environment. The stones are presented within scenes depicting aspects of daily life, from ceremonial practices to communal interactions, bringing the Pictish era to life.
A museum exhibit featuring touchscreens displaying 360 photos of scenes from the virtual environment offers interactive engagement. Visitors can explore the stones in detail and, notably, actively participate in the narrative by recolouring the St Madoes stone from a curated palette before reintegrating it into the digital landscape. This communicates the uncertainties of how the stones were coloured and introduces a personalisation element, where visitors create a personal relationship with their encounter with Pictish archaeology.
While the project showcases the evolving landscape, the use of characters humanises the scene, enabling comparisons between Pictish rituals and contemporary settings, offering insights into the cultural practices of the time. By locating the reconstructed stones within their historical context, multiple modes of engagement are possible: the exhibit connects the stones as they are today with how they looked in the past, augmented reality applications connect today’s landscape with the past, and web virtual reality provides access from home or school.
In conclusion, our project aimed to visually explore Pictish heritage and invite active personalised participation and engagement from the public. Through digital technologies, we bridge the gap between the past and the present, fostering renewed appreciation and interest for Pictish history.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 7 Oct 2024 |
| Event | 30th European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) Annual Meeting: Persisting with Change - University of Sapienza, Rome, Italy Duration: 28 Aug 2024 → 31 Aug 2024 Conference number: 30 https://www.e-a-a.org/eaa2024 |
Conference
| Conference | 30th European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) Annual Meeting |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | EAA Conference 2024 |
| Country/Territory | Italy |
| City | Rome |
| Period | 28/08/24 → 31/08/24 |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- Pictish archaeology
- digital narrative
- 3D modelling
- landscape reconstruction
- digital cultural landscape
- Pictish heritage